The Film Renter and Moving Picture News (Mar-Apr 1923)

\ Vy hi March 245 1923. a THE FILM RENTER & eae PICTURE ‘NEWS. PRODUCTION ACTIVITY IN AMERICA. Big Boom at Hollywood. By JOSEPH DANNENBERG. N the following article Mr. Joseph Dannenberg, the brilliant I editor of ‘ The Film Daily,’’ gives his impressions of production that is going on at the present moment in America. We print his article for the benefit of readers who will see that, according to the writer, there is at the present moment tremendous activity in production in the American film industry. Mr. Dannenberg has been out at the coast for several weeks, and his views will be of great importance to the trade over here. | ‘There is more going on in production in Hollywood at this moment than at any time since the boom period of 1919. Everybody is happy. Casting agents are having their troubles finding the right kind of people, and prices for all kinds of help are soaring. Prcducers are complaining bitterly of the cost of production. Several of them are outspoken and insist that the actions of several independent producers have had much to do with this. But others argue that it is simply a natural condition due to the increased production. Be that as it may, there is a tremendous lot of activity around the studios. At Goldwyn Jast week there were over 1,000 carpenters and other workers busy. This, exclusive of the professionals. Eight companies wore at.work. And so it goes at all of the other studios. Big Productions Coming. ‘. The most interesting development of this is the activity of the so-called independents. At the Fine Arts 14 companies are at. work, including Victor Halperin, High Dierker, Finis Fox, ‘ Big Boy ’ Williams, Clifford Elfelt, Jess Robbins, and others. At Goldwyn Rupert Hughes’ ‘ Souls For Sale’ is in its eleventh weck. They had a big bonfire there a few nights ago, when Hughes shot the burning of.an immense circus tent, and several were injured. It was a big sight. Neilan is in his eighth week 1 ‘The Eternal Three.’ Other productions in work include * Three Wise Fools,’ ‘ Red Lights,’ directed by Badger, ‘ McTeague,’ Charley Brabin, who will handle Corinne Griffith in ‘Six Days,’ Lambert Hilkyer with ‘The Spoilers’ and Seastrom is getting ready, as is Hugo Ballin. Mae Murray is also working there. ; , os: “* At Famous-Lasky, Fitzmaurice ig finishing ‘ The Cheat,’ Sam Wood is on ‘ Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife,’ Jimmy Cruze is on ‘ Hollywood,’ Herbert Brenon ig working with Betty Compson on ' The Rustle of Silk,” and Walter Hiers is on ‘ Sixty Cents an Hour.’ The Melford company arrived this week from the Kast, and had great difficulty in finding places to sleep. Never in years has the town been so erowded with tourists. All the Companies at Work. . ‘* First National has its units well under way. Earl Hudson will be on the job for the company, and will act as a sort of production: manager. At present he is just organising. First National will have a number of units at work shortly. At present Walton Tully will finish * Trilby,’ started in Paris; James Young is working on ‘ Wandering Daughters,’ and Eddie Carewe is busy with ‘ The Girl of the Golden West.’ Arthur Jacobs is hustling on ‘ Terwilliger,’ and the Talmadge girls are resting in between production. ome ‘“ At Universal City five units are at work, and Carl Laemmle is watching the development of ‘The Hunchback of Notre. Dame,’ chic, by the way, promises to be one of the big ones for next season. It is running into a big cost. Incidentally, at Universal City they are busy with three serials indicating that they still believe in the power of the serial as a box office. One of these, it is said, will be shown in England and her Colonies only, and will never be seen in the States. Unusual and interesting idea. * At Fox sevon feature units are at work and five somedy units. Warners are finishing ‘ Main Street,’ which promises to be another big attraction, “and Harry Beaumont is. working: day and night. Incidentally, Beaumont is staging ‘‘ snow stuff *’ right in the studio, and is giving Hollywood a treat. They never have snow out here. But Beaumont makes it to; order. “The Schulberg organisation has four pictures in work for’ Al. Lichtman,-and Louis Mayer is busy with his units. Hal‘ Roach is hustling with five units, and while Metro is temporarily’ quiet within the next few weeks it is expected that things will be humming with ‘ Scaramouche’ and Jackie Coogan at?’ work together with the others. On the Century lot four companies are at work. ‘The Pickford-Fairbanks organisation is quiet, but Mary will start shortly on ‘ Rosita,’ a Spanish’ story to be directed by Lubitsch. At R-C four units are at work, and at Christie’s four companies are going full speed. Sennett also has several units at work. ‘ Teddy,’ the big dog, will be featured in one of these. ‘ Five independent companies are working at the Hollywood studios, and Charley Ray and Madge Bellamy are busy at the Ince lot. Chaplin is busy with ‘ Public Opinion,’ featuring Edna Purviance, and is in his fourteenth week, and this is only a part of what is going on. All of the smaller studios are loaded with work, and it will be impossible to get studio space for several weeks at least.’’ FROM SCREEN TO CANVAS. APTAIN A. E. COOPER, who was official artist to the Air Force during the war, is painting a portrait of Shayle Gardner, the well-known actor, in the guise of a thirteenth century priest, Pietro Morelli, the character Mr. Gardner is playing in the Stoll] super film version of FE. Temple Thurston’s wonderful play, ‘‘ The Wandering Jew.”’ This is probably the first time a film character has been made the subject of a big painting by a well-known artist, but it is not the first time Mr. Gardner has been painted by Captain Cooper. One of the pictures in last year's Academy portrayed the actor as the Sultan in Oscar Asche’s spectacular stage production of ‘* Cairo.’” Mr, Gardner figured in the stage version of ‘* The Wandering Jew ”’ with Matheson Lang, but at the New Theatre he was a prinee in the Antioch scenes and an Inquisitor in the final ones. Mr. Lang, of course, is filling the title rdle in the Stoll picture. 17